Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-26

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

 

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the proportion of the population living in urban areas in four different countries during the period of 1970 to 2020, making projections in the future for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, Malaysia shows the highest percentage living in urban areas, while other countries experienced a fluctuations throughout the period and one country consistently had a significant growth in population.

To begin with, Malaysia had the highest proportion throughout the journey starting with 30% of people in 1970 and ending at around 82% of people by 2040.

Moreover, the perenta fluctuated throughout the journey.Starting with approximately 32% people in 1970 and reached at peak level around more than 50% people by 2040.

Furthermore, the citizens of Indonesia had a significant growth throughout the period surpassing the other countries population.Around 13% individulas was living in urban areas in 1970 and rose to approximately 60% people by 2040.

In addition, overall Thailand population incresed during the whole journey.It started with around 13% population was involved in 1970 before reaching to its peak at around 48% population by 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address all parts of the task by summarizing the main trends for the four countries. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the data reported. For instance, the student states that Thailand started with 'around 13% population', whereas the graph shows 18% in 1970. Similarly, the final figure for Thailand is stated as 'around 48%', but the chart indicates approximately 49.5% or nearly 50% for 2040. Furthermore, the paragraphs are poorly attributed in places; paragraph four discusses fluctuations, but appears to refer to the Philippines while containing a typo in the heading. While an overview is provided in the second paragraph, the lack of precision in data extraction and several vague references prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is organized into distinct paragraphs, including an introduction and an overall summary. However, logical progression within body paragraphs is frequently disrupted by poor referencing and vague naming. For example, starting paragraphs with vague phrases like 'Moreover, the perenta fluctuated' (with a spelling error) or 'To begin with' without clearly signposting which country is being discussed makes the text difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as 'throughout the journey' repeated multiple times. Paragraphing is present, but overall cohesion is faulty.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with several spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the quality of the writing. For instance, the student misspells 'percentage' as 'perenta', 'individuals' as 'individulas', and 'increased' as 'incresed'. Phrases like 'the journey' are used repetitively instead of varied time expressions or data verbs. While the writer attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'proportion', 'fluctuated', and 'surpassing', the noticeable spelling errors and limited range restrict the score to a Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, grammatical accuracy is low, with frequent errors including fragment sentences (e.g., 'Starting with approximately 32% people...'), subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'Around 13% individulas was living'), and missing prepositions or articles. Punctuation errors also occur, such as a missing space after a full stop in paragraph six ('journey.It started'). These errors frequently cause strain for the reader, though the general meaning of the sentences can usually be deciphered.

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